Scrapbook Ideas for Couples: True Love, True Life

Let’s face it. True love isn’t always easy. Relationships are built in those moments that are less than perfect. One of the joys to me in scrapbooking is being able to step away and tell those stories. They say more about true love and our life than almost any other pages I’ve created.

While I don’t scrapbook everything and I don’t share all the nitty gritty details in my scrapbook pages (or for that matter here on the blog), I do try to share authentic stories. Our marriage is no exception to that.

Sometimes it’s just a simple less than perfect moment. (And sometimes there’s a follow-up story later where someone I know might have “made fun” of me leaving a note to unplug the truck.) I seriously thought halfway to work that morning that I was gonna be in BIG TROUBLE. I survived.

Journaling Reads:It was the week before turkey season began. Cody went out to the deer lease on a Thursday evening to go scout for turkey with David Whitehouse. I stayed home. Before he left, Cody asked if I wanted him to plug in the truck. Since I knew I’d forget to do it later on, I said yes. I don’t sleep well when Cody’s gone and Thursday night was no exception. But, I had to go work, so I got up and got ready. On the way to work, I turned on the heater. . that’s when it hit me. . . “Cody said he was going to plug the truck in.” My thoughts raced. I don’t remember seeing it plugged in. Do I turn around? What if it messed up the plug on the truck? or the garage or the outlet? Surely I would have noticed the cord. When I got to work, the first thing I did was check the plug on the truck. It was all tucked away. . . “good I thought, he must have forgotten.” I wondered and worried about it all morning long. I didn’t want to call Cody for fear they’d be on some turkeys when I did. So, I waited. He finally called after 10:00 sometime. I asked if he’d forgotten to plug in the truck. He said no, he remembered. I came clean about my omission earlier that morning. He went home to check on things before he came to work. He later said he started to get mad but could tell I was really worried. As he thought about it more, it was funny to him. I was so relieved when he called and said things were fine at the house. Note to Self: Don’t Forget to Unplug the Truck.

I can’t tell you how aggravated and a how lovely it was to wake up to this guy the morning of the dead bolts. . . I could have just gone back to bed and started the day all over again. But, when you take a step back you realize how far you’ve come. What have you learned? How do you maneuver “those moments”?

Journaling Reads: Through the years, I’ve learned there are just certain projects around the house that aren’t your thing. With door hardware, it seems your dyslexia and lack of patience get the best of you.. Yet, there you were late the night before trying to swap a couple of ours out and it didn’t work out well for you. The next morning, well, I got involved. “Super Woman” was able to get the problem figured out and install both dead bolts. She just had to get you out of the way which I sometimes figure harder than you would think. When I look at pictures of you from way back when until now, I wonder how on earth you look so much younger and how we’ve gotten seemingly so much older. Where did all those years go? But then, there are the moments like these that I have a good sense of all that time- moments we’re we know each other so well and can simply compliment the others strengths and weaknesses. Supplies: Template- Cathy Zielske, Papers Gina Cabrera and Micheline Martin

Scrapbook Idea: Layouts like this can be great ways to get in those really old pictures you have that maybe you either don’t want to scrapbook or that you don’t really remember the story.

And then there moments that just sucked- that you can scrapbook when you try to frame it in a different perspective- especially when you frame it in the sense of what true love really is- it’s messy and not always all smiles.

Journaling Reads: The house was was on the market but it had yet another joy of home ownership to share with us. I was super tired and to be honest a bit grouchy. The last thing I wanted to do when we got home from work was to pick up the huge tree top that had fallen out of one of our pine trees. But, it had to be done. I begrudgingly began the chore and griped, at least in my mind, with each trip down the hill to the burn pile. Cody kept working and somehow had a much better attitude then me. I guess it was just role reversal for once. I remember a calm settling in though as we worked together. The joy of companionship that often defines our marriage even in the not so great times. It wasn’t long though and Cody had me smiling. Only he could have done it that night. Rather than remembering the arduous task that took all evening to complete, I remember spending that time with Cody and the sunshine he brings to every day life.

Scrapbook Idea: You can always go back and take pictures. I was not in any mood to take pictures of the tree top that had fallen that day. But, when I realized the moment that had unfolded was something I actually remembered, I went out and took some pictures after the fact.

Then there are the struggles that are the really difficult times in our lives. I completed this page about the time when Cody and I were most definitely the brokest- that little thin “mattress” was our couch and our bed. . . and our dining room table? But, you know there are things about that time that are favorite memories- things as difficult as they were seemed simpler. Where they? Not really. But we lived simpler.

How can you tell your true love story authentically? Do your albums include pages like this? If not, why not?

I don’t scrapbook, but I do blog, and this post made me think about my blogging. Over the years I have written so many posts about my kids and homeschooling but I don’t recall writing about my wife and our relationship over the years. I think I’ll start doing that. If only for my kids and grandkids to go back and read later in life. Thanks for a great post.